


better with you

by stellargay



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi Goro Attends Shujin Academy, Akechi isnt an asshole in this one, Akira has happy flappy hands, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Autistic Akira Kurusu, First Kiss, Good Akechi Goro, Love Confessions, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Selectively Mute Akira, Sign Language, Stimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:41:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26167327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellargay/pseuds/stellargay
Summary: “Hey, I told you I wasn’t going to leave you, right? Hold my hand. I won’t let go.”
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 34
Kudos: 218





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this was inspired by a doodle that @screwave over on instagram drew of akira stimming with flappy hands. it was intended to be short, but then somehow got away with me LOL. 
> 
> special thanks also to @akiren.pt on instagram as well for sharing information about their stims with me so i could write this a little more accurately!

It's no secret that Akira Kurusu is relieved to be in Tokyo.  
  
Inaba, as small of a town as it is, is pretty confining. He'd never felt comfortable stimming out in public, which made for a very uncomfortable life. it doesn't help that he doesn't talk much either.

His parents are pretty supportive, overall, which is more than he can say for several online friends who are like him. But their business has taken them overseas for a year, and so Akira found himself on his father's friend's doorstep. Sojiro Sakura had been a family friend for years, and has an adoptive daughter who is autistic like him. Futaba is more reclusive though, preferring to spend most of her time in her room. She and Akira communicate through texts, which is nice, considering he doesn't speak unless he truly trusts someone.  
  
That someone, surprisingly, is Goro Akechi, a third year at Shujin Academy. They met when Akira was placed into a special-needs group after transferring. Older students who joined the program were matched up with special-needs students to help coach them through classes and help them navigate the complicated school system.  
  
To be fair, Akira is very intelligent. He needs very little help with his studies. If anything, he excels at numbers and facts, and is a straight-A student. But, as with any school, there are those who make it their priority to make Akira feel unwelcome. Several times, he’s tucked himself into janitor's closets or bathroom stalls just so he can comfort himself by rocking back and forth on his feet.  
  
Which is where Goro comes in.  
  
Goro Akechi is tall, with unusually deep maroon eyes and soft brown hair that hangs just above his slender shoulders. His voice is like a soft blanket, light and airy, and it makes Akira feel at ease. That doesn’t mean Goro doesn’t have to work for Akira’s voice, though. For a while, they communicate through a text-to-speech program or a little whiteboard Akira carries, until Goro surprises Akira one afternoon about a month after Akira transfers. They’re sitting together in an empty classroom for what is essentially free time, since Akira doesn’t need assistance with his schoolwork. After sitting down next to Akira, Goro reaches into his bag and pulls out a comprehensive book on sign language.  
  
“I figured that I should probably learn.” he comments casually, sliding the book toward Akira so he can thumb through it. “I know just enough to probably sound absurd if I attempted to try, but I see the way you communicate with Takamaki-san and Sakamoto-kun in classes. Your hands move so fast but the way they move is so...elegant, if that’s a word I can use? I want to learn to speak the way you do.”  
  
Happiness bubbles up in Akira’s throat and releases itself in the form of a wordless song escaping from smiling lips. Goro’s eyes go wide. This is the first time he’s ever heard Akira’s surprisingly deep voice.  
  
Once the song has escaped, Akira can’t stop himself. He looks at the book again, touched by Goro’s kindness, and a wiggle chases itself up his spine and down his arms, ending in his fingers, which he twists and flaps several times. The book drops harmlessly to the desk surface before Akira’s hands even begin to move. 

This is the first time he’s ever stimmed in front of anyone. Normally he can keep the motions to a minimum, especially in class and in front of the few people he communicates with at school for class projects. The sensation is freeing, and Akira wiggles his fingers again before tapping his fingers on the desk in a fun little rhythm. _Tap tap tap tap taptaptap tap tap!_ Another little vocal song chirps into the air between them before he finally realizes that he should probably stop. He wipes the smile from his lips, forcing his hands and arms still as he blushes.  
  
Reaching for the whiteboard he always keeps in his bag, he scrawls one word.  
  
_“Sorry.”_  
  
Goro stops him just as he is writing out the last letter, putting two fingers very lightly on Akira’s wrist. “Don’t. You don’t need to apologize for that. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen you so _happy._ That was amazing, Kurusu-kun!”  
  
The gentle touch of Goro’s hand makes Akira shiver again, both in happiness and something else altogether. His fingers wiggle again involuntarily.  
  
He can’t believe he’s stimming in front of someone outside his family. Even his new acquaintances in his classes haven’t seen more than a leg jiggle or finger tapping. Akira considers that for a moment, wondering why he feels so at ease around Akechi-san. Akechi has been rumored around school to be kind of a tight-ass, despite how kind he is to Akira. He’s on the student council with Niijima-senpai, and Akira has heard that between the two of them, Shujin Academy may as well be a prison.  
  
Akira doesn’t really get it. Akechi-kun and Niijima-senpai seem nice enough.  
  
He catches himself clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, deep in thought, and then meets Goro’s eyes again. He reaches for his whiteboard again and scribbles across it with his favorite red marker. _“Sorry. I don’t usually stim in front of people.”_ he writes. _“It just makes me happy that you are bothering to want to learn something for me.”_

Goro raises an eyebrow in question, but chooses to instead offer Akira a thousand-watt smile that makes butterflies take flight in Akira’s stomach, bubbling up until he’s flapping his hands again. Wow, Goro has such a pretty smile. It’s like the sun, warm and inviting.  
  
Is he crushing on Goro Akechi? Maybe. Why else would he stim at the very sight of Akechi smiling at him?  
  
The smile on Goro’s lips grows wider, and he laughs, though Akira knows it’s not _at_ him. “I would be interested in taking sign language lessons after school whenever you would be comfortable with it. Maybe we can grab a snack on the way back to either my place or yours, if you want.”  
  
Is Akechi asking him for a date? The idea makes Akira chirp and wiggle, hands doing their happy-flappy dance even as he’s embarrassed at his open reaction. He stops flapping just long enough to reach for his whiteboard again. _“How about tonight? My guardian owns a nice cafe out in Yongen-Jaya where we can study.”_ He hopes that Goro will be able to come over tonight. Akira wants to cling to the nice feelings that are still simmering under his skin while they last. 

“Do you mean Cafe LeBlanc?” Goro asks in surprise, and Akira turns to nod, cocking his head curiously. “Sakura-san makes the best coffee this side of the Pacific. I’m usually in there at least a couple times a month. I didn’t know you were related?”  
  
_“Not by blood. Sojiro is a friend of my father’s. My parents are away on business for the year, so they asked Sojiro to keep an eye on me here in Tokyo.”_ He offers a wry grin toward Akechi, clicking with his tongue again. _“Imagine babysitting a seventeen year old, right?”_ Akira puffs out a breathy laugh between his lips. _“My parents mean well. They’re just overprotective.”_

“I mean, it is understandable.” Goro says thoughtfully. “Not that you need to be babysat, but just in case you need anything. I’m assuming you’re not really able to drive or anything like that.”  
  
Akira purses his lips, huffing another breath out as he clicks his tongue. _“I’m capable of taking care of myself for the most part. I just don’t handle crowds very well, and social interactions with strangers tend to scare the shit out of me.”_

A soft whistle escapes Goro’s lips as the bell chimes, signalling the end of study hall. He begins to pack his bag, tucking the sign language book carefully in with his calculus. “I bet the Tokyo subways are a nightmare for you then.” He chuckles.  
  
_“Sojiro drives me to school and usually picks me up, but if you’re going home with me, then maybe I would be okay taking the subway? Unless you want a ride.”_ _  
_ _  
_ They both glance out the window. The day is warm and sunny for late March, a breeze blowing through the open windows. Goro zips his bag and casts a glance toward Akira. “There is a crepe place in the subway station that sells delicious raspberry crepes, so I wouldn’t mind taking the train if you think you will be okay. I will be right beside you the whole time. I won’t leave you for a second.”  
  
Akira feels so warm and fuzzy he can’t help but flap again. As he stands up, he needs his hands for his bag, so he starts to dance on his tiptoes, feet tapping as if he’s doing a dance. Goro laughs again. “Is there something about me that makes you stim like that?” He asks, the very beginnings of a coy smile on his lips. Akira feels his face heat up, and he sticks his tongue out and wrinkles his nose, snorting with laughter. 

Goro laughs again, a far more boisterous and unrestrained sound. Normally, Akira gets upset when people laugh, because most of the time they are laughing at him, but Akira doesn’t get that vibe from his friend. Goro is entertained, yes, but it’s obvious he’s not making fun of Akira. That makes Akira feel even more warm, and he can’t help but smile after retracting his tongue. His cheeks are rosy and he has to look away almost shyly when his eyes meet Goro’s. They shoulder their bags and walk out of the classroom, and Goro lightly taps Akira on the arm. “I’ll wait for you out in the courtyard after school. We can walk to Yongen together.”  
  
As Goro disappears down the hall toward his next class, Akira ducks into the boys’ bathroom and tucks himself into a stall so he can let loose with a solid two minutes of stimming. Flapping hands and tapping feet, humming to himself as he feels giddy that Goro wants to spend more time with him. Not only that, but Goro is bothering to do what most people wouldn’t think of. He wants to learn to communicate on Akira’s level. The idea leaves him a grinning mess and he doesn’t know why. Maybe it’s because no one else has ever bothered to try to commune with Akira on a level that he feels comfortable with. Ann, Makoto-senpai, and Ryuji already know sign language, which is how he met them. But he’s never met anyone who genuinely wanted to go out of their way to bother with him before. 

As Akira flaps a few more times, he realizes something. 

He is completely smitten with Goro Akechi.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is where this fic completely derailed and became a much bigger thing LOL enjoy!

As they enter the crowded Aoyama-Itchome subway station, Akira starts to rethink his earlier bravado. There are people everywhere, and already he’s had several strangers bump into him. He grits his teeth, trying to squelch the rising panic under his skin. He’s with Goro, and he doesn’t want to look stupid. But crowds, man. _ Crowds _ .    
  
It only takes two flights of stairs for Akira to stop dead in the middle of the walkway, much to the annoyance of the people behind him, and he clenches his hands so hard he can feel his nails indenting into the skin. He rocks on his feet a few times, and feels completely foolish when Goro turns around a few feet ahead of him only to find Akira struggling to control his breathing as he rocks back and forth on his toes.    
  
“Akira?” Heat floods his face when he hears the concern in Goro’s voice.    
  
He shakes his head, pressing his lips together tightly, and then startles when Goro reaches out his hand. “Hey, I told you I wasn’t going to leave you, right? Hold my hand. I won’t let go.”    
  
His heart thunders in his chest, and roses bloom on his cheeks. He shyly puts his hand in Akechi’s, fighting the urge to stim at how soft his hands are. He dances a bit on his toes, though that could be taken as rocking still. Goro gives him a warm, but still concerned, look as he walks beside Akira now, holding Akira’s hand tightly in his own.    
  
Akira swallows convulsively around the lump of shyness in his throat, and then bravely laces his fingers through Akechi’s, stepping a bit closer to make sure he doesn’t lose Goro in the throng. He dares to glance up at Goro, afraid of what he might see, but he is surprised at the flush on Goro’s cheeks and ears. Goro doesn’t let go of his hand either.

Neither of them speak as Goro navigates them through the crowded subway halls. But Goro never lets go of his hand, even when they both have to struggle to get on the train. That in itself is Akira’s worst nightmare, being pressed up against all these strangers. He pants out quick little breaths, wiggling his fingers to try to soothe himself in the crowded space. There’s no room for his usual comforting stims here.    
  
A motion to his left startles him, and Akira suddenly finds himself pressed to Goro’s chest, the brunette’s arms around him as if in a hug. The train doors close and the train starts to move, pushing Akira tighter into Goro’s embrace. He’s blushing, yes, but right now it’s enough to bury his face in Akechi’s shoulder and close his eyes. He inhales deeply into Goro’s uniform jacket, finding it to smell like sandalwood, some sort of light cologne, he assumes. He likes it a lot, and a wiggling stim flits up his spine and he grins like a lunatic into Goro’s jacket. 

He hears Goro laugh under his breath, and the sound vibrates through Akira’s ears. They stay that way, Akira huddled against Goro, all the way to the station at Yongen-Jaya. Once they’re free of the subway system, Akira is able to relax, and waits for Goro to let go of his hand. But Goro never does, and Akira’s heart throbs pleasantly. He only releases Akira’s hand once they arrive at the cafe, though he does so to open the door for Akira before following him inside.

They enter Cafe LeBlanc together, and Akira waves when Sojiro looks up from the bar, where he is sitting with a crossword puzzle and a pen. “Oh, good, you’re back. When you texted me, I got worried. I’m glad your friend helped you home.” 

Akechi steps forward and bows slightly toward the older man. “I’m Akechi Goro, Sakura-san. I have been here many times before, but I didn’t know Kurusu-kun was staying with you until today.”

Sojiro puts his pen down and slides off the barstool to step around so he can pull a few mugs out. “I do recognize you. It’s nice to see you again, Akechi-kun. How do you know Akira, here?”

“Oh, I’m on the student council, and a part of the special needs program at Shujin. I was matched with Kurusu-kun when he transferred.” Akechi sets his bag down and moves to sit at a booth when Akira points to the one right behind them.

Akira steps behind the bar as well, grabbing a bag of coffee beans and putting it down next to the siphon. Sojiro has been teaching him the basics of coffee-making during the evenings, and he likes to think he can brew up a decent cup for Goro. Sojiro slants him a glance, and Akira smiles at him, putting down the mug so he can sign with his hands.

“ _ Akechi-san has been a big help. He wants to learn sign language, so I’m going to help teach him. I hope you don’t mind if we sit at a booth and study.”  _

A chuckle escapes Sojiro and he nods. “Go ahead. As you can see, we are pretty busy tonight.” He jokes, gesturing toward the empty room. “Use any booth you want.” He steps over to the siphon and quickly gives Akira a few instructions before asking Akechi which blend he prefers. 

Minutes later, Akira and Akechi are sitting down together, sipping hot coffee from their mugs. Akechi sips his delicately before he blinks and smiles. “This is quite good, Kurusu-kun. Nearly as good at Sakura-san’s.” He offers Sojiro a nod and then winks at Akira, causing butterflies in his stomach again. “Now then,” Goro puts the cup down and pulls out the sign language book. “Let’s start from the beginning.”

-

That is the first of many evenings spent sitting in LeBlanc, and the more time they spend there, the more Akechi’s sign language vocabulary grows. Before Akira knows it, they’re spending three to four nights a week sitting across from each other. Akechi soaks up the teachings like a sponge, and Akira delights in the time they spend together.

Almost organically, Akira has grown more accustomed to the busy subway system and the crowded trains. But not because of exposure alone. Every time, Goro pulls Akira close, holding him in his arms. When he’s tucked against Goro, it feels like the whole world stops spinning, that he’s in a snug little bubble that the rest of the world can’t penetrate.

Surely Goro feels it too, this intense feeling between them. Does he feel giddy when Akira’s eyes meet his? Does he go to sleep at night excited to face a new day, because Akira will be a part of it? Akira has no idea, but he hopes so. He’s allowed Goro into a space few others have been granted. Not even Futaba or Sojiro have ever been this close to him.

Akira wonders if someday, he might be able to say Goro’s name to his face, instead of whispering it to himself and his emotional support pet, a sleek black and white cat he named Morgana. At night while he lays in the spare bedroom in Sojiro’s house, petting Morgana when the cat jumps up to purr on his chest, Akira wonders if he can truly open himself up fully to Goro.

When they aren’t studying, Akira and Goro can be found playing chess at their usual booth, or walking together at Inokashira Park. Goro usually texts him on Sunday mornings to see if Akira would like to spend the day together. Akira has lost count of how many lazy Sundays they’ve spent laying in the grass at the park, or how many ice cream cones or crepes they’ve gotten. Every day is a new experience, and Akira feels himself thriving under it. As Goro’s vocabulary grows, they spend warm spring nights in the park or at the bath house, signing to each other enthusiastically. 

Akira can hear perfectly fine, but it brings him such a thrill to see Goro expanding his horizons, bringing Akira into his magnetic orbit a little more every day. 

One evening in late May, they’re walking through Kichijoji after a quiet evening spent at Goro’s favorite jazz club. Goro’s hand is snug in his, and Akira can’t help but stim a bit, his fingers wiggling into Goro’s soft palm until the brunette can’t help but laugh. They pass by what looks to be a new age shop, a place that smells of spicy incense and books. Akira points toward it, and Goro immediately veers off the road toward the little shop.

The first thing that catches Akira’s attention when they walk in are the pendulums hanging from a display near the register. Without letting go of Goro’s hand, Akira wanders toward the display and, with one finger, delicately brushes across several of the hanging pendants. There are spheres of amethyst, pointed tips of hematite, and a particularly pretty rose quartz pendulum that swings a bit harder than the others, despite the fact that Akira hasn’t touched it.

“Ah, that one likes you.” says a soft female voice. A woman, no more than twenty years old, stands up from behind a bookshelf, where she had been restocking journals and books on everything from Kabbalah to Buddhism. Akira jumps a bit, pulling his hand away from the stones as if they burned him. The girl laughs and waves her hand. “Don’t worry. You can touch them. That’s what they’re there for. That rose quartz one seems to vibe with you. That’s why it keeps moving, even though you barely touched it. 

Akira glances down to see the pendulum still swinging lightly back and forth, and he reaches out shyly to pluck the beaded chain from the hanging display so he can watch the pink crystal, encased in an elegant silver catch, sway back and forth. A feeling of euphoria floods his senses, and he wiggles, flapping with his free hand as he grins at the pretty stone and its beaded chain. 

“I think it’s safe to say he likes it too.” Goro says smoothly, leaning in for a closer look. “Tell me about the stone. I’m not well versed in things like divination or holisticism.” 

“Of course!” The girl moves to lean across the counter, pointing at a similarly colored stone belonging to another pendulum. “The stone your friend there has is called a rose quartz. Rose quartz has long been thought to be most healing for the heart. It is called the stone of universal love. Of course, that can mean anything from familial love to friendship to romantic relationships.” 

Akira likes the sound of that. ‘Universal love’, huh? Maybe this little pink stone knows how he feels about Akechi.

“Hmm.” Goro seems to consider the girl’s words as Akira watches the stone swing back and forth, almost transfixed by it. The flood of endorphins in his brain is almost overwhelming right now, and he wiggles again, dancing in place and humming out loud. 

The girl smiles. “Those pendulums are sold for between two and three thousand yen, depending on the cut and decoration of the pendulum itself. That one there is about twenty-five hundred yen.”

If only Akira had that much money. His parents send money to Sojiro for Akira every month, and for the most part, Akira asks Sojiro to hold onto it. He’s been using it lately a lot more for train fare, but other than that, Akira keeps very little money in his wallet. He sighs softly, eyes lingering on the pretty pink stone before replacing it on the display. He turns to Goro and smiles, fingers beginning to move.  _ “I don’t have that much money on me today. I’ll have to remember this place for next time we come out here.”  _

Goro smoothly translates what Akira just said, and the girl smiles brightly, tucking a lock of deep brown hair behind one ear and reaching out for the pendulum. “I’ll keep this behind the counter then and save it for you. I know these pendulums pretty well by now, and I couldn’t live with myself if I let someone else snatch this up when you are so clearly attuned to it.” She wraps it in paper and then writes a note on a scrap of paper and tapes it to the outside before tucking it under the front register. 

Akira signs a quick “ _ Thank you.”  _ before tugging on Goro’s hand. The brunette follows, and they hurry back out into the Kichijoji crowd. Goro leads him out to the cafe they usually head to just down the street, and after ordering drinks, they sit at an outdoor table. By now, Goro knows enough sign language that Akira feels free to use his hands rather than his whiteboard, and he talks up a storm, grinning at Goro as his hands and fingers fly. 

It isn’t long before Akira notices that Goro’s expression has softened, and the look that comes over his face makes Akira’s chest feel warm.  _ “What is it?”  _ he signs. Goro blinks, smoothing out his face again, and tucks a stray hair behind his ear. He reaches out to swipe his thumb over the corner of Akira’s lips, and Akira’s heart takes flight. 

“You had some whipped cream on your face.” He says, voice soft, but amused. 

Akira feels like he can barely breathe, and it’s only once Goro pulls away that he remembers to inhale deeply. His hands shake as he averts his eyes, a helpless grin stretching across his lips. God, it’s so obvious, his feelings for Akechi. Akira never used to be such an open book, but it’s almost too easy to let down his walls with Goro. He makes himself look up at Goro again, mouth dry, and shakily signs:  _ “Thanks.”  _

Goro looks like he wants to say more, but his cell phone chirps at that exact moment, and he sighs. “My mom.” he explains after reading the text. “I guess she wants me to stop to pick up a few things for dinner before coming home.” He stands, brushing off his pants before offering Akira a smile. “Do you mind if we cut our day short today? I’ll walk you home.”   
  
The subway ride back to Yongen seems to fly by, especially since Akira’s lips still tingle from where Goro’s fingers touched them. He’s tucked into Goro’s chest as usual, and he can hear Goro’s heart beating against his ear. It’s thrumming almost as hard as a hummingbird’s wings, and Akira takes comfort in the sound even as someone accidentally steps on his foot when the train turns a corner. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i love shuake. that's it. that's the chapter summary.

This Sunday morning, Akira awakens to a text from Goro, asking if Akira would like to spend the afternoon together. The question is unnecessary. Akira always says yes. And lately, Goro hasn’t even bothered to ask. He just shows up after telling Akira he’s coming over, and they spend yet another blissful day together. Morgana is purring on his chest as he answers in the affirmatively. Goro replies that he’s already on his way.    
  
The fact that Goro is asking sends some sort of nagging feeling up his spine, and he shakes it out with one hand, setting Morgana on the bed so he can go take a shower. He doesn’t feel the need to tell Sojiro or Futaba that he is going out. Akira is in and out of the house constantly these days, not only spending time with Goro, but with Ryuji, or Ann, or even Haru.    
  
He’s never known what it’s like to have friends, and he fears that when he goes back to Inaba he will be alone again. 

It’s soon after he’s pulled on a shirt and a pair of well-worn jeans that Goro calls up to him. Akira’s window faces the alleyway, and it’s open to let in a warm breeze. He goes to the window to see Goro waving up at him, a familiar smile shining up toward him like the sun. “Have you eaten yet?” Goro yells lightly. “Let’s go to Jazz Jin for lunch!”    
  
Akira can’t stop the smile growing on his lips and he nods, signing that he will be right down. He turns away from the window, grabbing his bag and his wallet before hurrying downstairs to meet Goro out front. 

-

Jazz Jin is quiet during the daylight hours, most of the singers and performances are done at night, and the lunch crowd is very thin. Goro asks for a booth tucked back into a quiet corner of the restaurant, and as they sit down, Akira is struck with the idea that this darkened corner of the world feels far more intimate and warm than it ever has before. Maybe it’s just the privacy. Maybe it’s the intense look in Goro’s eyes.    
  
Goro places an order for their favorite mocktails and an order of gyoza to share, one of their usual orders, and then clears his throat. He looks like he’s struggling for a few moments, and Akira can tell that his cheeks are rosy red. Akira’s heart hammers in his chest, and he doesn’t know why. Goro opens his mouth, and then seems to change his mind before voicing anything at all. He levels Akira with a deep, intense look, and then lifts his hands.    
  
_ “I’m not really sure if you’ll welcome this, but I wanted to say something.”  _ Goro signs, hands shaking. Akira’s breath catches in his throat.    
  
And then Goro fluently signs something unmistakable. Caressing the top of one hand several times, and then touching both hands together. He slides one hand down from his chin before caressing the top of his hand again. Warmth blooms in Akira’s chest as Goro does it again, meeting Akira’s slate grey eyes with his own maroon ones. 

_ “I like you very much.”  _

Goro is using the romantic hand motions, and it feels like flowers could burst from Akira’s throat from how hard he wiggles and then chirps, whistling several times in succession before he clumsily responds with his hands.    
  
_ “I like you very much too.”  _

Goro’s smile could light up the entire night sky. Akira feels himself basking in it as they grin stupidly at each other. The waitress comes back with their drinks and gyoza, and after she leaves, Goro glances around at the fairly empty dining room before getting up to move over toward Akira’s side of the booth. He slides in beside Akira, their knees touching, before he pulls something out of his pocket. It’s in a little bag, and when Akira takes it, it has some weight to it.    
  
“I wanted to get you something for when I confessed.” The brunette says simply. “I hope you like it.” 

Akira carefully undoes the little drawstring on the blue velvet bag, and upends it into his palm. Out falls the beautiful little pendulum, its beads and the rose quartz resting heavily in his hand. Another wiggle, another whistling chirp, and Akira picks it up by the little clasp to let it dangle from his fingers. It’s just as pretty here in the dim atmosphere of the jazz club as it was in the shop. Maybe even moreso, because the rose quartz catches the dim orange of the atmospheric candle burning on the table. Akira is transfixed by it for a second before he looks up at Goro. 

He hesitates for a moment, watching Goro’s expression, before letting out a deep breath.    
  
“I...love it.” The words are clumsy coming from his mouth, but they feel right in this moment. “I love it, G-Goro.” 

Maroon eyes grow wide. Akira has never ever spoken to him before, not even in a whisper. Akira blushes at the reaction, shyly averting his eyes. “But I like you more.” He says softly, head bowed. “Thank you.” 

A gentle touch to his chin has him looking up into Goro’s eyes. He plucks the pendulum from Akira’s hands, a finger lingering under Akira’s chin before nervously darting a glance at the raven-haired boy’s lips. Akira parts them involuntarily, sucking in a soft breath.    
  
“Akira, may I…” Goro struggles for a moment, embarrassed. “May I kiss you?” 

The butterflies in Akira’s stomach seem to almost burst from his stomach in a wave, and he flaps his hands several times both in excitement and nervousness before tilting his face up towards Goro’s. “Yes.” He whispers, the word more a breath than a syllable.

The next thing he knows, Goro is gently pulling Akira’s face closer, and soft lips touch his own in a wispy brush of a kiss. Akira’s eyes flutter closed as he puffs out a breath against Goro’s lips. Goro pulls away slightly, as if gauging Akira’s reaction, before leaning back in and pressing his lips back to Akira’s more firmly, cupping Akira’s face in both hands. 

_ I could fly.  _ Akira thinks, a shiver racing down his spine that has nothing to do with a stim. 

The kiss doesn’t last much longer than a few seconds before Goro pulls away, eyes shining in the candlelight. “Will you be my boyfriend then, Akira?” 

Akira doesn’t even need to answer verbally. He shyly pecks Goro’s lips in a shy, quick kiss before flapping his hands again between them, the answer obvious. But Goro deserves a real yes, so he looks up into Goro’s eyes and nods. “Yes. And will you be mine?” 

“Yes. A thousand times, yes.” Goro’s words are fervent as he openly admires Akira, cheeks flushed in the dim light. “I can’t believe you are speaking to me. Your voice is so deep. I like it a lot.” 

“I trust you enough.” Akira says simply. He is a man of few words, no matter if he does or does not speak to someone. “I’ve trusted you since the day you said you wanted to learn sign language.” It feels good to tell Goro this, and the words flow off his tongue almost too easily. 

Goro seems touched by the confession, and reaches for his mocktail, a fruity purple drink blended with coconut milk. “To be honest, I was attracted to you since the day I met you. I opened the door, not knowing what kind of person to expect, and then I saw you…” He sips the drink thoughtfully. “I thought you were the most gorgeous boy in the universe right then. I still think that.” 

Akira laughs, a quick breathy sound, before ducking his head and reaching for a gyoza with his chopsticks. He bites into it and swallows. “Same.” He says softly. “To you, I mean.” He drums the hand not holding the chopsticks on the table between them, legs working into a frenzied rhythm. 

The silence that hangs between them is comfortable, both of them reaching for another gyoza and eating quietly. Akira welcomes Goro’s arm moving to rest around his shoulders, and once Akira swallows, he dares to lean against Goro, resting his head against his new boyfriend’s. To his joy, Goro leans against him as well. 

It’s overwhelming, the idea that someone likes Akira enough to want him around, and that that someone embraces everything he is. Akira had no idea that he could feel like this, and as he flaps one arm again at the touch of Goro’s head against his own, he relishes it. This is everything he never knew he wanted, but now that he has it? Akira wouldn’t trade it for the world. 

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me over on [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/stellar.gay/) and [tumblr](https://stellargay.tumblr.com/)! come scream with me about shuake because the brain rot is real, y'all.
> 
> the title comes from the song "better with you" by jesse mccartney
> 
> _I was a wreck when you came along  
>  When there was nothing left  
> You showed me the best  
> I'm still a mess but you hold on  
> Don't know just why you do  
> But I know I'm better with you_


End file.
